Something to look forward to: PlayStation 5 owners hailed Horizon Forbidden West as one of the console's more visually impressive titles – a reputation that garnered some interest in seeing the PC version's system requirements. While not the lightest recent release, the open-world post-apocalyptic sequel isn't as demanding as some might have expected.
The most demanding requirement of Horizon Forbidden West's PC port is 150GB of storage space. The 16GB RAM minimum is also slightly unusual, but the game recommends no more than that, and anyone with at least recent mid-range hardware should face little trouble running the game.
Unsurprisingly, the recommendation of a GeForce RTX 3060 or Radeon RX 5700 to play the title at native 1080p represents a generational leap over its predecessor – Horizon Zero Dawn. However, a 3070 or RX 6800 should manage 60fps at native 1440p, while Guerrilla Games suggests a 4080 or 7900 XT for 4K gameplay. The specifications don't account for super-resolution, which might push each listed GPU up by one rank. As usual for Sony's PC conversions, the game supports FSR, XeSS, DLSS upscaling and frame generation, and DLAA.
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On the lower end of the hardware spectrum, porting studio Nixxes confirmed that it has optimized Forbidden West for handheld devices, implying that it will be Steam Deck verified at launch and run well on the Asus ROG Ally. Handheld support likely explains the minimum 30fps 720p preset, which for desktops lists a GTX 1650 or RX 5500XT with just 4GB of VRAM.
Tweakable visual settings include textures, level of detail, shadows, water, terrain, field of view, motion blur, radial blur, lens flares, bloom, vignette, and more. Support for 21:1, 32:9, and 48:9 (tri-monitor) ultra-wide aspect ratios has become standard from Sony, as has Dual Sense controller feedback. Additionally, the port includes DirectStorage support.
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Pre-orders for Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition are already open for $59.99. All copies include the Burning Shores expansion pack, which adds a new area and quests to the main game. A digital soundtrack, art book, and digital comic also come standard. Meanwhile, pre-purchases come with exclusive resources and cosmetics. The game launches on Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 21.
In related news, sources have told XboxEra co-founder and known leaker Nick Baker that information regarding a PC port of Ghost of Tsushima might emerge very soon.